VESSEL REVIEW | Interceptor with 68 knots top speed delivered to Italian financial police

The Guardia di Finanza (GdF), the Italian law enforcement agency that is mainly focused on dealing with financial crimes and countering drug smuggling, recently took delivery of a new interceptor boat from local builder Effebi.

The newbuild is the first boat to be built by Effebi for the GdF in fulfillment of a tender awarded in 2021. The operator specifically requested for a boat that would allow police operations to be carried out even in choppy seas to effectively combat illegal trafficking by high-speed boats.

Built from composite material, the new GdF interceptor has a length of 16.5 metres, a beam of 3.5 metres, a displacement of 10.5 tonnes at full load, and four Mercury Mercruiser 325kW engines that deliver speeds of up to 68 knots. Effebi said the uniquely shaped hull will ensure outstanding steering control and excellent stability and seakeeping even at high speeds and in all sea conditions. The hull is built to RINA standards.

A range of 460 nautical miles can be achieved at a cruising speed of 35 knots, making the boat capable of extended patrols off the coast. Its size and manoeuvrability meanwhile make it well-suited for interdiction and boarding operations with a four-strong crew.

The GdF boat is also fitted with a radar, magnetic and electronic compasses, a DGPS, an echosounder, an infrared thermal camera, and a communications suite that consists of radios, a phone, and a satellite link.

The interceptor will be based at the GdF station in Bari. Its main area of operations will encompass the Adriatic Sea off the coast of southern Italy.

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